Department of Health and Social Care

Gambling: Mental Health

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to the recommendations set out in the ‘Prevention of Future Deaths Report’ issued after the inquest of Jack Ritchie, published on 7 March.

Lord Kamall: In May 2022, the Government published its response to the Coroner's Prevention of Future Deaths report following the inquest into the death of Jack Ritchie. A copy of the Government’s response is attached.This confirmed the Government’s commitment to addressing gambling-related harms and prioritising gambling as a public health issue. We will improve the awareness and understanding of gambling-related harms amongst healthcare professions as well as expanding and improving specialist treatment services available for people with a gambling addiction. We have also committed to assess current gambling regulation through the Review of the Gambling Act 2005.  Attachment  (pdf, 381.4KB)

Health Services: Males

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the development of a Men’s Health Strategy.

Lord Kamall: Although the Department does not have any current plans to develop a men’s health strategy, we have measures in place to address specific health issues which disproportionately affect men. This includes commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan to reduce stroke and heart attacks and the forthcoming new Tobacco Control Plan and significant investment in suicide prevention.

Pharmacy: Finance

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they will take to provide funding for the implementation of a National Minor Ailments Scheme to be operated by community pharmacies and pharmacists.

Lord Kamall: The Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework 2019-2024 sets out the ambition for community pharmacy to be further integrated with the National Health Service and provide advice and treatment for minor illnesses. Approximately £13 billion has been allocated to community pharmacy through the Framework, with £2.592 billion in each of the five years. Through the Framework, the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service was introduced to enable staff in NHS 111 and general practices to refer patients to a same day appointment for advice and treatment of minor ailments with a community pharmacist.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many parents claimed (1) tax free childcare payments, (2) the universal 15 hours free childcare offer for three and four year olds, and (3) the extended childcare offer for three and four year olds, for the last three years.

Baroness Eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent on (1) tax free childcare, (2) the universal 15 hours free childcare offer for three and four year olds, and (3) the extended childcare offer for three and four year olds, in the last year for which figures are available.

Baroness Barran: Tax-Free Childcare is for working parents of children aged 0-11, or 0-16 for disabled children, and has the same income criteria as 30 hours free childcare. In the 2021/22 financial year the government spent £411.3 million on Tax-Free Childcare.The numbers of families and children who have used Tax-Free Childcare between 2020 and 2022 are as follows:2019-20: 315,040 families used this entitlement for 396,365 children.2020-21: 374,135 families used this entitlement for 461,705 children2021-22: 512,410 families used this entitlement for 646,940 childrenThe universal 15 hours free early education entitlement is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of parental circumstances. The government spent £2,212,241,262 on the universal entitlement in financial year 2021/22.The numbers of children registered for the universal 15-hour entitlement between 2020 and 2022 are captured annually, as follows:2020: 621,351 three-year-olds and 650,193 four-year-olds2021: 574,845 three-year-olds and 637,146 four-year-olds2022: 582,295 three-year-olds and 629,939 four-year-oldsThe extended 15 hours entitlement, also known as 30 hours free childcare, is available for eligible working parents of three and four year olds, on top of the universal 15 hours free early education entitlement. The government spent £837,497,401 on the extended 15 hour entitlement in the 2021/22 financial year.The numbers of children registered for the 30 hours free childcare between 2020 and 2022 are as follows:2020: 248,399 three-year-olds and 97,305 four-year-olds2021: 234,996 three-year-olds and 93,666 four-year-olds2022: 249,388 three-year-olds and 98,738 four-year-oldsThe department does not collect data on parents who apply for the entitlements, only children who have registered.

Ministry of Defence

Autonomous Weapons: Treaties

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their policy paperAmbitious, Safe, Responsible: Our approach to the delivery of AI enabled capability in Defence, published on 15 June,which states that weapons that identify, select and attack targets without context-appropriate human involvement "are not acceptable", whether they will be supporting the negotiation of a legally binding international instrument that both (1) prohibits autonomous weapons that identify, select and attack targets without context-appropriate human involvement, and (2) regulates other autonomous weapons systems to ensure meaningful human control over the use of force.

Baroness Goldie: The UK does not support calls for further legally binding rules that prohibit autonomous weapons that identify, select and attack targets without context-appropriate human involvement and regulate other autonomous systems. International Humanitarian Law already provides a robust, principle-based framework for the regulation of development and use of all weapons systems including weapons that contain autonomous functions. Without international consensus on the definitions or characteristics of weapons with levels of autonomy, a legal instrument would have to ban undefined systems, which would present difficulties in the application of any such ban and which could severely impact legitimate research and development of AI or autonomous technologies.

Autonomous Weapons

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their policypaperAmbitious, Safe, Responsible: Our approach to the delivery of AI enabled capability in Defence, published on 15 June, which says that "We do not rule out incorporating AI within weapon systems" and that real-time human supervision of such systems "may act as an unnecessary and inappropriate constraint on operational performance", when this would be seen as a constraint; and whether they can provide assurance that the UK's weapon systems will remain under human supervision at the point when any decision to take a human life is made.

Baroness Goldie: The 'Ambitious, Safe, Responsible' policy sets out that the Ministry of Defence opposes the creation and use of AI enabled weapon systems which operate without meaningful and context-appropriate human involvement throughout their lifecycle. This involvement could take the form of real-time human supervision, or control exercised through the setting of a system's operational parameters. We believe that Human-Machine teaming delivers the best outcomes in terms of overall effectiveness. However, in certain cases it may be appropriate to exert rigorous human control over AI-enabled systems through a range of safeguards, process and technical controls without always requiring some form of real-time human supervision. For example, in the context of defending a maritime platform against hypersonic weapons, defensive systems may need to be able to detect incoming threats and open fire faster than a human could react. In all cases, human responsibility for the use of AI must be clearly established, and that responsibility underpinned by a clear and consistent articulation of the means by which human control is exercised across the system lifecycle, including the nature and limitations of that control.

Autonomous Weapons: Ethics

The Lord Bishop of Oxford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Ambitious, Safe, Responsible: Our approach to the delivery of AI enabled capability in Defence, published on 15 June, what assessment they have made of the specific ethical problems raised by autonomous weapons that are used to target humans and which have been raised by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Baroness Goldie: We're very aware of the ethical concerns raised by numerous stakeholders including the ICRC around the potential misuse of AI in Defence, including its impact on humans and the potential use of autonomous systems in ways which might violate international law. We published the Ambitious, Safe, Responsible specifically in order to ensure clarity and support ongoing conversations around the UK approach. With respect to autonomous weapons systems: the UK's focus is on setting clear international norms for the safe and responsible development and use of AI, to ensure compliance with International Humanitarian Law through meaningful and context-appropriate levels of human control. We propose development of a compendium of good practice mapped against a weapon systems' lifecycle which would provide a clear framework for the operationalisation of the eleven guiding principles agreed by the UN Group of Government Experts on Certain Conventional Weapons 2017-19. We are keen to continue extensive discussions on this issue with the international community and NGOs on this issue, including through discussions at the UN.

Armed Forces: Pastoral Care

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Goldie on 13 July (HL1351), what proportion of those using chaplaincy provided by their service identified as non-religious; what reasons were given for dissatisfaction with or a neutral stance towards the service received; what steps have been taken to improve the service in response to the 30-40 per cent of respondents who declared themselves either neutral towards or dissatisfied with the service they had received; and what resources, including funded posts comparable to religious chaplaincy, are provided to the various staff networks, including the Humanist And Non-religious in Defence Network, to provide support to those Service personnel who do not wish to talk to a Chaplain.

Baroness Massey of Darwen: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the service provided to armed forces personnel by the chaplaincy is prioritised according to the religion or belief of the individual seeking pastoral support.

Baroness Goldie: Information regarding how many users of the chaplaincy identified as non-religious is not held. Data regarding any protected characteristics of individuals seeking confidential pastoral support is not normally recorded, nor will they necessarily even arise or be disclosed unless they have a direct bearing upon the issues at hand. Where dissatisfaction or a neutral stance is expressed in the Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey (AFCAS), the specific reasoning behind each survey response is not recorded. AFCAS does not go into that level of detail, however, local evaluations in-Unit routinely show high levels of satisfaction with the teaching and pastoral care that chaplaincy provides. Neutral responses with the AFCAS survey are often in effect a “not applicable (N/A)” response. In this case the respondents are not likely to have sought direct support from the chaplaincy in the time frame of the AFCAS survey. As they are unlikely to have accessed or used the service provided, there are no specific measures targeting improvement for this cohort of respondents.   Information regarding a breakdown of resources comparing the chaplaincy to the various staff networks that provide support to Service personnel is not held in the format requested. The question of the religion, belief, or any other protected characteristics of an individual in contact with chaplaincy has absolutely no bearing on priority of access for pastoral support. Pastoral support is delivered according to need and open to all.

Defence: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government, whether they will publish an annual list of all AI defence programmes they are working on, including the stage of implementation and the budget for each programme.

Baroness Goldie: While Defence is committed to be as transparent as possible about our use of AI technologies, there are no plans at present to publish an annual list of all AI defence programmes due to practical and security reasons. Defence understands AI as a family of general-purpose technologies with ubiquitous potential applications from the back office to the battlespace. We will publish an AI 'concept playbook" later this year to help partners to understand the areas of Research and Development that we intend to prioritise. However, it is important to understand that in most cases AI will be an enabler for a broader system or capability (e.g. supporting more informed logistics planning) not a capability programme in itself. Given the range of potential applications, it would not be practical to label and track all sub-elements of projects underway across Defence that include Autonomy or AI. Moreover, in some cases it would not be appropriate to disclose details of Defence capability programmes for security reasons.

Defence: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their policy paper Ambitious, Safe, Responsible: Our approach to the delivery of AI enabled capability in Defence, published on 15 June, what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) scientists, (2) developers, and (3) industry, can operate in an environment where there are adequate controls to prevent their research and technology from being used in ways which may be problematic.

Baroness Goldie: The Defence AI Strategy (published on 15 June 2022), set out our clear commitment to use AI safely, lawfully and ethically in line with the standards, values and norms of the society we serve. This is critical to promote confidence and trust among our people, our partners and the general public. We will deliver this commitment through a range of robust people, process and technology measures, including: embedding our AI Ethics Principles throughout the entire capability lifecycle; independent scrutiny and challenge from our AI Ethics Advisory Panel; training to ensure our people understand and can appropriately mitigate AI-related risks; publishing as much information as possible about key safeguards (such as our approach to Test and Evaluation); specifying (including through Early Market Engagement) how and why we will utilise algorithms and applications; and ensuring there are effective pathways for individuals to raise ethical or safety concerns. As we implement these commitments from the AI Strategy - and the associated 'Ambitious, Safe, Responsible' policy - Defence will continue to be outward facing, working with colleagues across the AI and technology industry to understand concerns and identify and embed best practice safeguards.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Flood Control: Somerset Levels

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the preparedness of flood defences in the Somerset levels and marshes for winter 2022–23.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Somerset Levels and Moors remains prone to flooding, due to its low-lying nature and a rapidly changing climate. £80 million of public investment has been made in this landscape following the floods of 2013-14 to help it adapt. This significant investment has allowed improved physical infrastructure that allows pre-emptive action to be taken to delay the onset of flooding and to evacuate water more effectively from this low-lying area. This enables communities to be more resilient and to recover more rapidly from flooding. The Environment Agency is implementing nature-based solutions at a landscape scale and working with individual landowners to support this, enhance biodiversity and increase the capacity of the landscape to absorb water and slow flooding whilst creating carbon storage. Construction work will start next year on the £100 million Bridgwater Barrier, one of the largest flood defence schemes in the country, which was identified as an action in the 20-year Flood Action Plan for Somerset. This will reduce tidal flood risk to over 13,000 residential homes and businesses and ensure that high tide levels do not adversely impact on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

African Swine Fever

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current risk level of African swine fever for the UK.

Lord Benyon: Managing the threat of African swine fever remains a key UK priority. Whilst we have never had an outbreak in the UK, we continue to prepare for the eventuality of one. Given the deteriorating epidemiological situation in Europe, Defra has commissioned an update to the 2018 risk assessment which looked at the risk of African swine fever entering Great Britain from the European Union via movement of humans, animals or animal products.The risk assessment has concluded that the overall level of risk to Great Britain has remained the same as in 2018. However, the risk of entry of contaminated goods into Great Britain via personal luggage or couriers has become high. The department is looking at a range of mitigations, including targeted interventions to prevent high-risk pork from coming into Great Britain from Europe.

Home Office

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has been paid outin refund requests after people submitted a 'Life in the UK' test (1) refund request, or (2) complaint form, since March 2014.

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 'Life in the UK' test (1) refund, and (2) complaint, forms have been received; and how many refund requests have been (a) received, and (b) paid out, in each month since March 2014.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The information requested is not available in a reportable format and is locally held management information which has not been quality assured. Obtaining it would require a manual trawl which would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

British Nationality: Assessments

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 19 July (HL1506), whether the 'Life in the UK' test includes any questions about out-of-date information included in the current 'Life in the UK' test handbook.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Life in the UK (LitUK) test and supporting handbook are updated annually. Where an event means some test content is incorrect, related questions will not be asked and the content will be updated accordingly as per the scheduled updates.

Asylum

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), what assessment they have made of (1) the number of asylum seekers attracted to the UK because of the asylum system in place prior to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, and (2) the number of asylum seekers expected to be attracted to the UK because of the asylum system in place after the Act has been enacted.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Through our New Plan for Immigration, we are fixing the broken asylum system to make it firm and fair, ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, whilst seeking to stop abuse of the systemThe number of asylum seekers who claimed asylum prior to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 being enacted stood at 55,146 for the year ending March 2022 for main applicants only.The Home Office are not able to provide the numbers expected to be lodged with the UK asylum system now the Act has been enacted. All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), whether they consider as a matter of policy that all asylum seekers travelling to the UK from France have done so unlawfully and are therefore unable to claim asylum; if so, on what grounds; and how many individuals seeking asylum after crossing the English Channel in small boats have been granted asylum in each of the last five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Asylum seekers who travel to the UK from France either commit a criminal offence of entering the UK without leave under section 24(B1) of the Immigration Act 1971, or of arriving in the UK without an entry clearance under section 24 (D1), depending on their method of entry or arrival. In line with the Kakaei and Bani judgments, those who are rescued and brought ashore (the majority of those crossing the channel in small boats) are deemed to have arrived without permission The Home Office are able to provide the total number of individuals seeking asylum after crossing the English Channel in small boats who have been granted asylum in each of the last four years, from 2018-2021. However are not able to provide information prior to this date as there were no small boat crossing attempts. Year of ArrivalGranted Asylum2018148201972720201548202156Total 2479

Visas: Dependants and Married People

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the current waiting times for (1) spousal, and (2) dependant, visa applications.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other government departments, including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.

Northern Ireland Office

Cost of Living: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the increased cost of living in Northern Ireland in the absence of a functioning Executive that could distribute public funding in response.

Lord Caine: The Government has taken decisive action to support people right across the UK, including support for the most vulnerable households across Northern Ireland who will receive up to £1,000, including a one-off £650 cost of living payment. The Government has provided significant resources to the NI Executive and it’s now vital a new Executive is formed to ensure all the funding available to Northern Ireland is used to maximum effect. In the absence of a fully functioning NI Executive, the Government continues to work with the relevant NI departments to ensure that people in NI benefit from UK support schemes.

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion: Prime Minister

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the criteria for selecting the countries to which the Prime Minister has appointed trade envoys; and when all national priority countries will have trade envoys appointed.

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister has appointed a trade envoy to India; and if not, why not.

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to appointing four trade envoys to India to ensure that all economic regions are covered.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Trade Envoy Programme supports British businesses and attracts investment into the UK. The programme works in collaboration with other trade promotion activities and focuses on emerging and high growth markets where additional senior interactions can be valuable, or larger economies where multiple interactions at different levels are effective.We are regularly reviewing countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK with the Prime Minister ultimately making that decision. Consideration is also given to appointing multiple trade envoys where this could be advantageous to the UK.The Prime Minister has not appointed a Trade Envoy to India.The UK remains committed to strengthening its long, positive and wide-ranging trading relationship with India which was worth £24.3 billion in 2021 by continued ministerial engagement and dialogue including the desire to secure a Free Trade Agreement.The Department for International Trade (DIT) analyses suitable countries, regions, and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK, with the Prime Minister ultimately making the decision to appoint.DIT following a review will make recommendations of the future size and scope of the Trade Envoy programme, including for India, to the next Prime Minister in due course.

COP26

Climate Change Convention: Egypt

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, to ensure that delegates to the COP27 conference in Sharm el Sheik are able to travel by land/sea routes and otherwise minimise carbon emissions from their journeys to and from the conference.

Lord True: It is unclear which specific land routes and land transport modes to Sharm el Sheik the Noble Baroness is recommending. To demonstrate our commitment to sustainability, we will continue to offset the carbon emissions associated with COP Unit staff and the COP26 President travelling on official business. This will include travel to COP27.The ‘COP26 Sustainability Report’ sets out the measures we took to deliver a sustainable summit, including those relating to attendee travel. The ‘Carbon Management Plan: PAS 2060 Qualifying Explanatory Statement’ details our commitment to carbon neutrality and the steps we took to achieve and verify it. Both documents are available to view on the sustainability section of our website.